Just trying to figure out when MINI added the option for different colored roofs on the MINIs. I know they had white from the start, but when did they add black and body color options?

 

Well I have a 2004 pure silver with black top

 

in 2002 I KNOW you could get white or black and I believe having the roof the same color as the body was also an option.

More color for an other than body color roof came later - a special edition came out offering silver and of course the GP had red

this picture is from a gathering of MINIs at Checkered Flag MINI of VA Beach in April(?) 2003 when owners were invited to a pre-screening of The Italian Job, with a reception at the dealer b4 ... so all these are 02 or 03 cars. You can see, white, black and body color roofs (note the blue S facing the camera) as well as some 'graphics' like the checkerboard which was popular in the beginning for the retro look

 

yup...day 1 option on gen1 cars...body color, black or white (with white rims I think). Very traditional MINI thing..the roof color. Then other "special Options" Like silver and GP was later in the gen1's production.

 

I had a 1963 Mini that had a white roof and light blue body.
I think they have always had an option for different colored roofs.

Dave

 

So it was a Cooper or Cooper S, as ordinary classic Minis never had white roofs. Back then, a Cooper or S was a very special car, maybe less than 10% of Mini production.

 

correct the Cooper & S was a small percentage* and alto I can't put my hands on the reference right now the whole contrasting roof thing was a result of the early rally teams doing it. When asked what the reason was they said it simply allowed the support folks to spot their cars more easily.

In Walton's Mini Cooper and S, there is a picture of "original 1961 Morris Mini Cooper 997:
"Note the contrasting roof colour (black with red in this case) . . ."

* In Walton's book he cites 'official' total production which included out of country production like Innocenti
Cooper 998 & 997: 44,885
Cooper S 970 , 1071 & 1275: 101,242 ..

or if we say there were 5,000,000 Minis produced - Cooper and S was 3%

this counting only the "true" Cooper and S, that made from 61 thru 71

if you don't agree with those numbers contact Walton, I'm just forwarding for curiosity sake.

 

It was a frankencar that I salvaged from a scrapyard, I assembled it in the 70's. It had no badges on the body when I got it. It did have right and left hand gas tanks and the roof was white, so I guess it was an "S". It didn't have an engine or an interior either. I put a 1275 Austin America motor and transmission in it to make it go, some Recaro knock offs for seats and I painted it yellow.

Dave

 

Gen 1 had white or bleck or body colour roof as no cost options fron day 1 here. Then came the vinyl factory/dealer options (even a heli pad marking).
Intersting about roof for quick id.

For those who didn't know, bonnet (hood) stripes were originally matt black in front of the driver so the low sun would not reflect from the gloss paint into his/her eyes.